Building Habits That Last

Breaking bad habits and creating good ones - we all have been there. It often feels easier said than done. Transforming your habits sometimes may look like limiting your freedom and making a lot of sacrifices. That is why countless failed attempts at habits building exist in our lives. The initial boost of motivation fades quickly when it starts to feel like we are sacrificing more than gaining.

I felt the same way for quite some time. I wanted to become a better version of myself, but I just did not know how. It was in a period of frustration that I came across the popular self help book  “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. And it completely changed the way I approach behavior self-help book “The subtle art of  building".

The book emphasizes the power of tiny habits, and how they could add up the remarkable results over time,  when paired up with consistency. The core idea?  Self growth is not achieved via groundbreaking wins rather via small daily victories. Let it be something like reducing your screen time everyday by 15 mins each day.

Simply put -  aim to become one percent better everyday in whatever you do.

The Secret ingredient behind building habits is repetition. An action becomes automatic with more and more repetitions. At some point it even becomes hard to break off the loop. That is when a Habit sticks to your bones!

To make this process easier and realistic, Atomic Habits introduce four laws that will guide our journey towards behavior change.

Identity Based Habits

Behavior change begins with figuring out who you want to become and adopting habits that align with that Identity. Start acting, thinking and making choices like that future version of yourself, until eventually your behavior reflects that person, whom you dreamt of becoming. So the next you have to make a choice, ask yourself “Would that person make this decision?”

First Law - Make it Obvious

All Habits begin with a cue, a  trigger that signals our brain to take action. The more visible and obvious the cue is, the harder it is to avoid the urge to act. The first step is to place the cue within your eyesight. Want to be a fitter person? place your gym clothes on the backrest of your chair.

Clear also suggests tying the cue with a specific time and location. Want to become an “academic weapon” ? replace your “study more” with “study for 2 hours from 5 AM at my desk” in your To Do List. You might also want to try “ habit stacking”  which means doing a new habit right after completing an existing one. For instance - after having your Tea, meditate for one minute. It makes the new habit easier to remember.

Second Law - Make it Attractive

We are wired to pursue what seems attractive.in fact the more attractive it is the more we crave them. In the alchemy of habit building we can use this “craving” for our benefit. Make the habit attractive and the magic happens. Atomic habits teaches us a very practical technique. Couple up something you “need” to do with something you “want” to do, like listening to your favorite playlist while running. The point is, you have to make yourself subconsciously enjoy the habit.

Surrounding yourself with people whose normal behavior is the habit you want to build is another effective way. We often mirror what our circle do, so choose a friend group where people are disciplined and motivated in doing what you want to develop in yourself, and the habit will start to feel more natural.

Third Law - Make it Easy

A habit is formed not because of how perfectly it is done, but how frequently it is done. But it sounds kind of like a chore. We all have built-in mental friction to carry out chores as they require effort. The trick is to make them feel easy. The easier it is, the less the friction. A simple way to do this is to start as small as possible. Clear suggests something called a “2 minute rule” where the habit only takes 2 minutes to complete. A not so enjoyable task like “studying for 2 hours” can be replaced by “opening the notes”, which only takes less than 2 minutes. Over time, the brain starts thinking, “I’m opening the book anyway, so I might as well read or learn something.”

The other strategy is to reduce the steps between you and the habit. If you want to study then choose a distraction free zone - this means no chaos, no phone, tv or your bed in your sight. Another trick is to leave your notes open on the table the night before. This is called priming the environment.

Fourth Law - Make it Satisfying

Satisfaction is addictive. We are more likely to repeat actions which make us feel good in the end, even if it means ignoring their long term impact on us. Just like how we choose to overeat sweets and junk foods knowing very well that they destroy our health.

The problem is good habits do not offer instant satisfaction unlike bad ones. Their results take time. If good habits can offer immediate satisfaction then sticking to them will not be as hard as we think. You can give yourself a reward at the end of the task, like watching an episode of your favorite TV series after studying, because after all you deserve it!  Using a Habit Tracker to visualize your progress, also helps to stay motivated and encourages consistency. But place this habit tracker where it catches your sight more often.

At the end of the day, it’s the small steps that lead to the biggest changes. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to show up everyday. Start with one tiny habit, stick to it and watch how it slowly reshapes your life. The best part? You’re not waiting for motivation to strike. You’re building a system that works for you, one habit at a time.